Breaking the Rules: Deviating from Wi-Fi Best Practices Can Lead to Better Results

Sometimes breaking an assumed Wi-Fi rule is the better choice.

It’s okay to break wireless networking rules occasionally. Engineers and network planners may think they have to follow them religiously. Wireless best practices are important, but striving for perfection and never making Wi-Fi mistakes can be problematic. You can learn from mistakes and create improvements, so the search for perfection can be the enemy of creating an improved, highly functional network. Wi-Fi is flexible and forgiving, so sometimes sticking to textbook rules is impossible.

In the webinar, Wi-Fi Mistakes We All Have to Make on Occasion, CWNE #200 Lee Badman discussed eight commonly held Wi-Fi beliefs that are okay to deviate from.

Rule 1: Know your client devices

This rule is sensible if you can identify what devices you will have over the lifecycle of a given WLAN, such as in a hospital or warehouse setting. You will likely have insight into specific specialty client device types in settings like these. This fundamental Wi-Fi rule often can’t be realistically followed because it can be impossible to predict client devices, the exact quantity, and their behaviors when you set up a WLAN.

Devices may outlive the access points (APs) before they’re refreshed, but that’s uncommon. Many times with bring-your-own-device (BYOD), device iterations come and go during the lifecycle of an AP. It’s a fluid process, so focusing on what is unknown about your clients is not helpful, as they may be non-existent in a year.

Rule 2: Stay on the latest code version

AP controller or other vendors may have this rule. The latest updates may have received a blue ribbon or gold star, but you don’t need to advance to the new code version if your current network configuration is perfectly stable.

Upgrading can be terribly disruptive but may be necessary for a new AP or a security vulnerability.

Rule 3: Each WLAN refresh needs a redesign or verification or blank canvas approach

Good Wi-Fi takes a solid design. Though sometimes it’s necessary to upgrade, if you’ve designed your network correctly, you may be able to put three or four generations of APs on the same network design over time with full functionality.

Rule 4: “Down the hallway” designs can’t work

These are not ideal but are viable when done right, such as with the absence of RRM and careful verification. You must deal with constraints sometimes, and your Wi-Fi can still work well. Manage what you can and perform good testing.

Rule 5: Never hang APs on the wall

The industry once claimed you should never put an AP on the wall, and an AP will transmit anywhere.

It may make no difference in a dense environment whether you end up on the wall or ceiling. Between the environmental impact on the antenna pattern and internal dipole antenna characteristics, it rarely matters if it’s on the ceiling or the wall when external antennas are not in use.

The ceiling may be better and provide a more predictable design, but at the same time, being on the wall is perfectly fine. It’s also viable for non-dense environments, but antenna patterns change.

Rule 6: The network needs to change to accommodate certain devices

Maybe someone in your organization wants to put a quirky new client device on the wireless network. You might be inclined to do anything to make it happen. You can deny them because not every device belongs on the enterprise Wi-Fi, even with a built-in wireless adapter.

The first priority is keeping the Wi-Fi working well. You may be able to accommodate difficult devices to make them work, but it’s not always necessary or ideal.

Rule 7: Never use captive portals

If your situation requires it and your captive portal works, you can absolutely use it depending on the kind of network in play and its purpose. The notion to never use captive portals isn’t always accurate, given the wide range of requirements across different verticals.

Know when certifications expire and have a plan to keep them up to date and patch the portal server device. Be mindful of the end environment.

If you’re putting out public guest Wi-Fi, for example, a captive portal isn’t always the best option for harvesting information for marketing purposes. In many cases, the data gained doesn’t outweigh the hassle.

It is okay to implement a captive portal to satisfy organizational requirements. This “rule” may sound good for public guest Wi-Fi but falls down for many private WLAN environments. Network users will adjust, and you’re meeting your security obligations.

Rule 8: Design and verification with that expensive survey software better be perfect

Survey and predictive design are gaining popularity, but many people overuse these tools. It’s tempting to use predictive tools or live planning and design, but you may deceive yourself into seeing what you want to see by manipulating settings.

Using data from prior surveys as a baseline is not recommended since surveys change rapidly. Your experience and knowledge should balance out the use of any design and survey tools when building and verifying a good functioning network for clients.

Why you need 7SIGNAL

Remember that Wi-Fi:

• Was designed to be resilient
• Is forgiving of situational imperfections
• Is flexible
• Is dynamic
• Is rarely clear cut
• Is complicated, but you can make it even more complex by thinking you must follow every rule, every time

7SIGNAL® helps support your wireless network planning with real-time information about how end users are experiencing the Wi-Fi. Reach out to 7SIGNAL to find out more about the 7SIGNAL Platform.

7SIGNAL® is the leader in wireless experience monitoring, providing insight into wireless networks and control over Wi-Fi performance so businesses and organizations can thrive. Our cloud-based wireless network monitoring platform continually tests and measures Wi-Fi performance at the edges of the network, enabling fast solutions to digital experience issues and stronger connections for mission-critical users, devices, and applications. Learn more at www.7signal.com.